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Sunday, 24 May 2015

O.S.MARDEN: "LOVE'S WAY"

Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1848–1924) was an American inspirational author who wrote on success in life and how to achieve it. His writings discuss common-sense principles and virtues that make for a well-rounded, successful life. Many of his ideas are based on New Thought philosophy.

His first book, Pushing to the Front (1894), became an instant best-seller and remains a classic in the genre of self-help. Marden later published fifty or more books and booklets.

Love's Way

"Come unto me, all
ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Is not that a
personal invitation from the divine physician, Love? And if you accept it, with
all that it means, you will realize that peace which "passeth all understanding."
Your cares and difficulties will melt and dissolve as snow melts and dissolves under
the sun's rays.

Love is the great leveling
up force of the world. Nothing else has ever made such a tremendous appeal to those
who have botched their lives and thrown away their chances, those whose lives have
been blasted by ignorance, by sin or other unfortunate conditions.

Love does not condemn,
does not criticize, does not judge, does not punish, does not ostracize, does not
exclude. This is not love's way. To the worst criminal, to the most degraded sinner,
it simply says "Go and sin no more." This is its only condemnation.

Love's way is Christ's
way. It says, "Love your enemies, bless those that curse you;" "Let
him that is without sin cast the first stone"; and on this condition no one
can cast a stone because there is no one without sin, no one without some weakness
as unfortunate as his neighbor's.

Love is the only force
in the universe that can say:

“I am that power which causes human beings of
the most diverse temperaments to live together in peace and harmony; which makes
home so beautiful, a heaven on earth.”

“My mission on earth is
to help, to heal, to uplift, to bring cheer and comfort, happiness to every one
of God's children. I am the good Samaritan who heals -the wounds which the selfish,
the hard-hearted pass by with indifference. I am the spirit behind the Red Cross,
the Salvation Army, and all other organizations of mercy. I am the power back of
all movements which are for the betterment of the world, the upliftment of man.”

“I am that which takes
the sting out of sorrow and the bitterness out of disappointment; that which heals
the broken heart, breathes hope to the discouraged, and good cheer to

the despondent.”

“I am the voice of God,
crying to his children — Come unto me all ye that are downcast, discouraged, despairing,
who think your ambitions are thwarted, and that there is no more hope for you, come
unto me and I will renew your lives.”

One who has tried love's
way in working out life's problems says, "I find it a charm. It is a
preventive against sin, disease, unhappiness, and brings with it health and prosperity."

Whatever your business,
whatever your trials and difficulties, love will ease the jolts of life and
smooth your way miraculously.

Love's way includes everything
that is beautiful, everything that is kind and good and clean and true, everything
that is worth having. It carries no regrets, it never leaves us sorry. It is pure
as the life of a little child. There is always an Amen of the soul to all its acts.
Love's way always leads us aright, because it is the God way.

In three words, the Bible
gives us all its limitless meaning: "God is love."Story of the Sunbeam

A sunbeam heard there were places on the earth so dark,
dismal and gloomy that it was impossible to describe them. The sunbeam resolved
to find these places, and started on its journey with lightning speed. It visited
the caverns of the earth. It glided into sunless homes, into dark alleys, into underground
cellars; it wandered everywhere in its quest to see what the darkness was like,
but the sunbeam never found the darkness because wherever it went it carried its
own light with it. Every spot it visited, no matter how dark and dismal before its
entry, was brightened and cheered by its presence.

Like the sun love irradiates
and warms into life all that it touches. It is to the human heart what the sun is
to the rose. It brings out all the fragrance and beauty, all the color and richness,
all the possibilities infolded in it. Love brings out all that is best in us, because
it appeals to the no'blest sentiments, the loftiest ideals. True love elevates,
purifies, and strengthens every heart it touches. It lifts us above ourselves because
it sees only the best in us.